Parliament considers resolution on unpaid overtime in health, education

A resolution has been submitted to Parliament seeking to address the issue of unpaid overtime work among employees in the health and education sectors.

The resolution, presented Wednesday by Kanditheemu MP Ameen Faisal, aims to gather the views of Members of Parliament on the current regulations governing overtime pay in these sectors and to consider the need for establishing a more equitable framework.

According to the resolution, workers in the health and education sectors frequently spend extended hours on the job without receiving corresponding overtime compensation. The purpose of the resolution is twofold: to address the challenges faced by workers due to unpaid extended working hours, and to consider whether the relevant authorities should be advised to review existing overtime regulations.

The resolution also highlights recent changes, including the adoption of a job matrix in the health sector and a revised salary framework aimed at aligning education sector pay with other public service sectors. However, both sectors continue to operate under set ceilings that limit the amount of overtime pay and the number of permissible overtime hours.

Under the current pay framework, the maximum overtime allowance is capped at 10% of the employee's basic monthly salary, and employers are prohibited from assigning additional hours beyond that limit. Despite this, the resolution notes that workforce shortages in the health sector require staff to work beyond permitted hours. Similarly, teachers and school administrators are reported to be working extended hours.

The resolution calls for an exceptional mechanism to be established under the pay framework to accommodate situations where employees are required to exceed the overtime limit. It also urges a review of the current regulations to ensure that workers in both sectors are compensated for all overtime hours worked.